Over the years, a number of spectacle or eye glass frames have been developed which include means for providing illumination to the viewing area of the spectacle frame. Typically, such devices include a conventional spectacle frame, a lamp mounted on the spectacle frame, and means for electrically connecting the lamp to a power supply. The purpose of such devices was to eliminate the need for the wearer of the eye glasses to carry a separate light-transmitting means, such as a flashlight, and such devices thereby freed the hands for other useful purposes.
However, it is clear that such eye glasses, having a lamp mounted thereon, have only a limited use, as they would not be worn or used when there is no intention of using the light-transmitting aspect of the device. Therefore, those who are required to wear eye glasses for proper vision would require two different pairs of glasses, one with the lamp and one without, depending on the use intended. For general purposes, conventional spectacles without light-transmitting means would be used. However, in those instances, where it is desired to see in the dark or to free the hands for other purposes, the eye glass including the illumination means, would be employed. Accordingly, it should be clear that it would be desirable to provide eye glasses with illuminating means that could be worn and used generally, as well as in those instances when the illumination feature would be desirable. In addition, it would also be desirable to provide eye glasses having illumination means which are not bulky, and which may be simply and inexpensively constructed.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved eye glasses which overcome one or more of the aforesaid problems. Specifically, it is within the contemplation of the present invention to provide improved eye glasses including illumination means which may be worn at all times, that is, even when the light-transmitting feature of the eye glasses is not utilized, and thereby avoids the need for two separate pairs of glasses, one with the illumination feature for specific uses and one without this feature for general use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved eye glasses including illumination means disposed within the frame of the eye glasses in an unobtrusive and compact manner which may be simply and inexpensively produced.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide improved eye glasses including illumination means, wherein the illumination means forms a portion of the eye glass frame, that is the side-supporting arm, so that the illuminating means serves the dual purpose of providing light and supporting the eye glasses on the wearer.